We’re headed to Alexandria. Just off highway 94 in north central Minnesota, Alexandria is home to Big Ole. The giant Viking was built as an attraction for the 1965 New York World’s Fair. When the fair ended, America’s biggest Viking was shipped to Alexandria where locals are extremely proud of their Viking heritage and are pretty sure the area was visited by Norsemen in 1362.
The 28-foot-tall Viking statue was erected on a traffic island where he spent many years getting banged up, set on fire and pummeled by bad weather. In 2002 Big Ole was moved to a beautiful city park across from the Runestone Museum where the giant Viking looks out over Lake Agnes and Lake Winona. More than $600,000 in lottery proceeds have helped fund water quality treatments and carp removal at both of these lakes.
Want to make a day of it? Stop into Holiday Stationstore to gas up and head west to Lake Brophy Park where $100,000 in lottery proceeds helped fund the expansion of existing trail systems.
If you’re headed north, stop at Jill’s Gas. Grab a snack and your Road Trip! scratch tickets on your way to Lake Carlos State Park. Lake Carlos is clear and deep and perfect for swimming and fishing. Hike to the tamarack bog for a little birding. More than 150 bird species can be found here. How many can you spot?